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Despite scoring drought, Clint Dempsey lifts Sounders

The Seattle Sounders' honeymoon phase with Clint Dempsey hit a climax last week when the club defeated Real Salt Lake and vaulted atop Major League Soccer's regular-season standings. But for Dempsey, the

The Seattle Sounders' honeymoon phase with Clint Dempsey hit a climax last week when the club defeated Real Salt Lake and vaulted atop Major League Soccer's regular-season standings. But for Dempsey, the adjustment period with his new club will likely require more time.

Dempsey, 30, has yet to record a goal or an assist in his five games with the club since his trade from the English Premier League's Tottenham Hotspur on Aug. 3. The Texan hasn't played poorly — he has 18 shots and a handful of near misses, including a blast in the 83rd minute against Real Salt Lake that was narrowly blocked by a diving Kyle Beckerman.

But for a player known for his offensive creativity and scoring prowess, the dry spell is uncharacteristic.

Dempsey said his life has been a whirlwind of moving vans, media obligations and airports since his trade. Two World Cup qualifying games for the U.S. men's national team also diverted his attention.

"The last weeks I haven't really gotten settled here — it's been about getting my family over here, getting the kids in school, putting our belongings on crates, canceling the utilities, that sort of stuff," Dempsey said. "Now that I have my family here I'm looking to get into a routine. I want to have a strong stretch with the team."

Sounders management echoed Dempsey's sentiment, and officials said they are not concerned with their new star's lack of productivity. Dempsey has only practiced one full week with the squad since his arrival. Coach Sigi Schmid said he only just recently sat down for his first one-on-one meeting with Dempsey to discuss the team's ambitions.

"Clint is 85 to 90 percent there," Schmid said. "Getting more time with him will help."

The Sounders look to extend their lead in the West on Saturday, when the team travels to play the Los Angeles Galaxy (10:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network).

Off the field, the Sounders have no complaints about Dempsey's presence, which has only strengthened the club's spot as the best performing business in Major League Soccer. Overall team retail sales are up 40 percent since Dempsey's debut, and attendance has also seen a jump. Since the Sounders joined MLS in 2009, the club has boasted the league's highest average attendance by leaps and bounds. In 2012, that number was 43,144, compared to 23,136 for second-place Los Angeles Galaxy. Dempsey's home debut on Aug. 23 set an attendance record of 67,385. More than 55,000 attended the game against Real Salt Lake. The team plays at Century Link Field, also home to the Seahawks.

"We were going to get to 45,000 [average] with or without Clint this year, having him will definitely raise our profile," said Adrian Hanauer, the Sounders general manager and minority owner. "The Sounders are a massive team, we are on par with the Seahawks and the Mariners."

Hanauer said Dempsey's acquisition isn't about ticket sales or television ratings, but rather about winning the MLS Cup. The Sounders are perennial playoff contenders in the west, but the squad has repeatedly been bounced early in the postseason. Last year the team looked poised for its first championship berth and then stumbled against the Galaxy in the conference finals, losing 5-2 on aggregate goals.

Only seven games remain for the Sounders, who bumbled through the early months of this season, winning just six of their first 14 games. Veteran defender Zach Scott said the team struggled early to integrate new players into the squad after a number of high-profile departures, including Swede Adam Johansson and German Christian Tiffert. But at the season's midpoint the squad finally gelled, Scott said. The team has won nine of its last 13.

"We've had so much turnover that in 31 of the 31 games we've had a different starting 11," Scott said. "As individuals it's the highest caliber team we've had, but we're still working toward becoming a group."

Hanauer said a MLS championship would make the Sounders the "preeminent franchise in Major League Soccer." The squad has been a favorite within the United States, but Hanauer said an MLS title matched with Dempsey's fame would also spread the team's brand overseas.

"This isn't a story about an individual making the Sounders story what it is," Hanauer said. "It's about a fantastic player joining an already great organization and raising the profile a bit higher."